Steel Mills
Pacific Steel breaks ground on California rebar mill
Written by Ethan Bernard
March 10, 2025
Pacific Steel Group has broken ground on its Mojave Micro Mill in Southern California.
The San Diego, Calif.-based company said the mill in Mojave, Kern County, outside of Bakersfield, will be California’s first “zero process carbon emissions rebar mill.”
Once operating at full capacity, the micro mill will be able to produce ~450,000 short tons of steel rebar.
It is the first steel mill to be built in California in the last five decades, according to the company.
The facility will span 174 acres, with 63 acres dedicated to on-site renewable energy. It will incorporate a carbon capture system, secondary high-efficiency filtration, and NOX emissions mitigation.
Plant commissioning is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
“This is a very exciting day for our company,” Pacific Steel Group CEO Eric Benson said at the groundbreaking on March 5. “It represents a culmination of nearly five years of work and is the first tangible step toward full vertical integration of our reinforcing steel operations.”
Local officials were also on hand to celebrate the moment.
“With over $600 million invested and more than 400 permanent jobs created, this project reinforces our position as the epicenter of industrial innovation in California,” Kern County District 2 Supervisor Chris Parlier said.
Pacific Steel Group touts itself as “the leading reinforcing steel fabrication and placement company in the Western United States.” It has offices across the region.
Ethan Bernard
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